1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a program-invocation-count measuring system a program-invocation-count measuring method for measuring the number of simultaneously active processes activated by invoking the same program in a network or a computer, and a medium for storing program-invocation-count measuring software.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a program is sold to a buyer as a product, normally, a usage license contract is made with the buyer to limit the number of simultaneously active processes activated by invoking the program and to approve only the number of processes within a limit specified in the contract. In addition, if a plurality of processes are operated at the same time by invoking the same program, it may be impossible for the processes to display the designed performance of the program. For this and other reasons, there is also provided a program having a function to limit the number of simultaneously active processes activated by invoking the program.
In order to limit the number of simultaneously active processes activated by invoking the same program or the number of active invocations of the program as described above, it is necessary to detect an operation of a program beyond the terms specified in a contract made with the user. Traditionally, a special program such as a license server for measuring the number of simultaneously active processes activated by invoking the same program is therefore used or, as an alternative, the program supplier issues a license key that allows the program to operate only in an environment of the user.
Since the conventional program-invocation-count measuring system, the conventional program-invocation-count measuring method and the conventional medium for storing program-invocation-count measuring software are configured as described above, a special program such as a license server for measuring the number of simultaneously active processes activated by invoking the same program is used or, as an alternative, a procedure such as a license key is required between the user and the supplier to make sure that the program is used by the user in accordance with the usage license contract. Nevertheless, a special procedure for measuring the number of simultaneously active processes is required.